The Eclipse Plan
by DawnRaindrop
Summary: A sudden attack launched by Arcadios left many weakened and defeated. However, Sting refused to give up just yet. He needs answers to questions only one person can answer. StingxLucy


**The Eclipse Plan**

_A/N: This is my first Sting/Lucy fic (do you call it StiCy? I'm not sure... :x)! This is also my take on how the Eclipse plan will be carried out(as you can see from my ultra-creative title...), plus a fair bit of my imagination. xD I got hooked on 'It Started With a Debt' by petpermint, which kickstarted my craving to write a StiCy fic. :) Hope you enjoy it!  
Oh yeah, I should mention that text in italics is either a thought or a flashback by one of the characters (Sting or Lucy). Yep.  
EDIT: I (just) realized that the story was sorta confusing. So I put breaks between the present and the flashbacks, as well as a change in POVs. I hope it's less confusing now... :x_

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. _(Mavis does, probably.)_

* * *

Sting gripped some debris as he struggled to get up, his weakened body threatening to give way. He gritted his teeth as he took in the scene of the hundreds of motionless bodies spread out across the ruins of the Mercurius. Even those from Fairy Tail had been knocked out. The same went for Sabertooth. He glanced at Lector, who lay next to him, a look of pain etched on his face.

"Lector…" Sting said, lifting the Exceed up.

"S-Sting-kun… I'm sorry… I'm too w-weak…"

Sting shook his head. "We're partners. Do you think I'm weak?"

Lector smiled before coughing, shaking his head. "Never."

A melodious, haunting voice fell upon his ears. He could not make out the words, but he could tell it was filled with sorrow. The origin of that voice stood in the middle of this very picture of pandemonium. The lone figure shook as she walked towards the Salamander, the melody flowing out of her mouth steadily.

"Heartfilia…" He grunted with difficulty. Lector tapped him on his shoulder.

"Go to her. I'll be all right."

Sting looked grimly as his partner. "Find Rogue and Frosch. And maybe help the others."

Sting chose to lie low as he advanced, not wanting to alert the girl. The melody broke for moment as she whispered the Salamander's name. Natsu-san responded, gripping the arm of the blonde celestial mage tightly.

"L-Lucy…" Dragneel struggled to say.

"I'm sorry, Natsu…" Heartfilia murmured before she screamed as Natsu-san was struck down before her.

The sorrow within the voice of the blonde mage pierced through Sting. Who would've known that this Celestial Spirit Mage, the very same one he had met a week ago, had transformed into this? Before Sting had met her personally, he remembered her as being someone in Natsu's team, and the weakest in the team. He admittedly admired her determination, but it was not enough to see her through Minerva's relentless assault during the Naval Battle.

_ " 'Will not betray the feelings of my guild'? Hah! What bullshit," I snorted._

_ "Is that not how a guild member should be?"_

_ "Please, Rogue. It does not matter. 'Feelings' does not exist in Sabertooth. It won't bring you to number one. What will…" I raised my clenched fist. "Is strength."_

The melody started again, as Heartfilia stood up again. She grinned evilly as she kicked over the body of another of her comrades. How was it that everyone got defeated? The strongest were gathered here in Crocus. And they were defeated by Arcadios and his army? Sting would not stand for it. Something was definitely wrong. He needed to know what. He would not go down so easily. He half-crawled, half-staggered over to the blonde.

He grimaced as another wave of pain shot through him. But as he neared her, he felt a surge of power going through him. By now, Heartfilia had noticed him coming. She dropped her smile and she shook her head hastily. He ignored her pleas to stop, lurching forward.

* * *

_"Everyone… I'm sorry… I lost again…" I heard the blondie murmur from upstairs._

_ I glanced at Rogue. Ever since the naval battle, he had been wearing a scowl on his face._

_ "What's the matter? This is how it should and will end."_

_ "There's no need for Minerva to beat her up like that."_

_ I snorted again, leaning against the wall. "Like I care how she won the battle. What matters is that she won."_

_ "You do care," Rogue pointed out plainly. "If not, you would not be hanging around these parts."_

_ "Shut up."_

_ "Fro overheard that today's the girl's birthday!" Frosch commented with a smile._

_ "Then it's a suitable birthday present for her, ain't it?" I grinned._

_ Rogue was silent. He turned away from me and said, "We should get going. I can hear the Fairies leaving the ward already."_

_ "Yeah. I'll catch up," I muttered offhandedly, staring at the ceiling._

* * *

"T-Tell me why, Heartfilia," Sting wheezed as he gripped the girl by the shoulders. "Why did you do this?"

"I…" Her red, swollen eyes bore into his. She looked insane, but Sting still thought her attractive.

" 'I will not betray the feelings of my guild'? What happened to the crap you spewed out then?" Sting demanded.

* * *

_"Are you trying to compete with Cana? Goodness. You drink a _lot_," Someone commented._

_ I gave the person a sideway glance. "Leave me alone, blondie."_

_ She was still covered in bandages, but she was as annoying as ever. "You sure you can find your way back without any trouble? I notice no one else from Sabertooth's with you."_

_ "What do you think I am? A kid?!" I roared at the girl. She scrunched her face a little._

_ "Your breath smells. Nope. You had a glass too many. Time to head home, Sting," She tugged at my arm._

_ I didn't budge. "I'd like to see you move me from this spot, blondie!"_

_ She tried to drag me away again. But as I would've thought, she was too weak. Then, she pulled out a key._

_ "_Open the Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!_"_

_ "Lucy-san! Looking good! You have nice boobs as always!" The Celestial Spirit hopped over to the girl._

_ I raised an eyebrow while she placed a hand over her face in irritation. She pointed at me. "Taurus, help me pull that guy out of the bar!"_

_ The Spirit did as the girl wished. In my shock (and the drunken state that I was in), I did nothing to counter it. I was lifted off the barstool and lugged out of the bar._

_ "Oy! That's cheating!"_

_ "You never said I couldn't have help. And I did move you, in a sense. Using my magic, I summoned Taurus. So yes, I moved you," The girl smiled. "Now, are you going to go back or do you need Taurus to send you home?"_

_ "I don't need help," I stated, pushing the Spirit away and leaping down._

_ Her expression softened a little. "You know… Being defeated once isn't everything…"_

_ "What do-" I started before I remembered. She quirked an eyebrow at me._

_ "What do I know?" She put a hand on her hip. "Is that what you wanted to say?"_

* * *

Suddenly, Heartfilia's features were twisted into something more demonic. She smiled gleefully as she slapped Sting's hand away.

" 'Feelings'?" Heartfilia laughed coldly. "I've never heard of it."

"W-Wha…" Sting began before he was knocked back.

"If you must know, Sting Eucliffe," The person smirked. "I am not the Lucy Heartfilia you know. I am the other side of her, locked up in the deep recesses of her mind."

Sting struggled to get back up, but was kept down as the woman stepped on him. She pulled out her whip and lashed out on his back. He bit back a cry of pain as she did so.

"The Lucy you know refused to cooperate with Arcadios, naturally. But I was able to surface momentarily, through the help of Raven Tail and Sabertooth. Your guild, in particular, was crucial in making her darker, hidden side grow. When I finally surfaced, I broke her spirit further as I brutalized the people she cared about."

"Curiously," She bent over touched his cheek gently. "She cared for someone that came from a guild that caused her so much pain."

"Heart…filia?"

Then, she smacked him hard across the face. Sting felt his cheek heat up as it reddened. Then she continued, "I would think, that I would not have grown as strong as I would have if she had not joined Fairy Tail. She became more aware of me, and started to despise me. Most of people would accept both sides as part of themselves, but Lucy actively buried her darker thoughts."

Sting listened, while he was mustering his power for a final blow. The song she sang gave him some strength, oddly enough. He would make good use of it.

"This Eclipse plan will cost my life, but what of it? It's in the name of chaos and war. I do not care," She cackled as she landed a blow to his chest. "I just want Lucy to break thoroughly. I want her to know she was the reason Fiore has landed into this state."

Sting glared at her before shouting, "_White Dragon's Roar_!"

She dodged it, but not before being hit in the arm. A wound formed on that arm, oozing out blood. She smirked, letting the blood flow down to her hand. She pulled him up by the collar, the blood on her hand smearing onto his top. "How sad, Sting Eucliffe. You won't be able to witness the advent of the Dragon King."

Then, everything went black.

* * *

_"No! Sting…!"_

"Peh," She snorted. "Shut up."

_"I've had enough of you! Let me out!"_

"The sentiment's mutual, princess," She spat as she glanced at the picturesque scenery before her.

Arcadios had launched a surprise attack on everyone on the day after the Grand Magic Games. It had been a long arduous battle. Soon, it could only end up that way it was now. She was impressed that Arcadios' army had been so strong, to take down so many people. A portion of the Great Ten, the Dragon Slayers, the Titania… All of them were defeated.

Of course, some had turned against their friends as well, all in the name of Zeref, which meant that people were fighting their comrades. With Lucy on his side, Fairy Tail could only fight half-heartedly. That meant a good portion of the opponents' fighting power was down. This only further proved her point. Feelings were useless. They would only betray you.

"_Natsu… Happy… Erza… Gray… And even Sting…_" She sobbed.

"You're annoying the hell out of me," She told the other her bluntly. "But go ahead. You know what it can do for me."

The sobs stopped nearly immediately. "What are you-"

* * *

_"Erm…" Sting started awkwardly as he stood at the door of the ward._

_ "Sabertooth?" I asked, not even trying to disguise my surprise._

_ "You okay, blondie?"_

_ I looked at him warily, not knowing how to react. He studied me silently. I felt uncomfortable after a while, pulling up my covers to my chin. _Was that a look of concern? _Lucy wondered. After a moment's consideration, I smiled at him warmly._

_ "Yes. Thank you," I answered. "I must say, your visit is unexpected."_

_ He furrowed his eyebrows immediately. "Don't think too much about it! I'm just-"_

_ "Concerned?" I interrupted. He was almost as bad as Ren from Blue Pegasus._

_ He glared at me as I slid down and lay flat on the bed again. He walked over to the bed and put a yellow flower next to my pillow._

_ "Heard that it was your birthday," He tried to explain._

_ I picked up the flower and twirled it a little. I beamed at him and thanked him for it. He looked away immediately. His face reddening, then his eyes widened, as if in shock._

_"What am I doing here…?" He muttered to himself before he walked off, not bothering to say goodbye._

_ "Bye, Sting," I said, somewhat softly._

"Argh!" She cried out. "Stop it, Lucy! Nothing you do now will help! I'm the strong one here! You will not overpower me!"

She felt her hold on the body weaken slowly. "No…!"

_"I thought for a moment there that Fairy Tail was going to win there," One of Sabertooth's Exceed commented._

_ "Fro thinks so too!"_

_ I clenched my fist tightly, leaning against the pillar and sliding down to the floor._ I was…! I don't know what happened there. Something took away my magic. But I was going to win! _I punched the floor in frustration._

_ "Woah there. What did the floor ever do to you?"_

_ I looked up, meeting the eyes of Sting Eucliffe, one of the Dragon Slayers from Sabertooth. In the bad mood that I am, I did not want to entertain anyone, especially people who wanted to gloat._

_ "What do you want?" I asked brusquely, getting up._

_ "Ouch," Sting fake-winced before he smirked. "Just wanted to say 'not bad for someone from Fairy Tail'."_

_ "But you've got to be stronger than that if that's all you've got in your bag of tricks," He added as he walked over to join his friends._

_ "What?" I gnashed my teeth, losing my smile quickly._

Although…_ I decided. _That was rather nice of him.

* * *

"No... You can't… Stop it…" She nearly resorted to begging.

Nearly.

She reached over to the person nearest to her, which she identified as Gray Fullbuster. She gave him a swift kick to his guts. He gasped as air was knocked out of him, blood coming out from his mouth even.

_"Gray! You-"_

Feeling power return to her, she smirked. "It's so easy to break you, princess."

"Lucy-sama!" Yukino Aguria rushed over to her side.

"What is it?"

"Arcadios-sama says it is time."

She smirked and nodded. "You hear that, Lucy?"

* * *

Sting wiped off the blood from his lips. Was he the only one who was still conscious? He blanched as he felt the injuries the blonde inflicted on him.

_"… The advent of the Dragon King." That's it._ _I know… I know what the song means. I know why I felt more powerful after hearing the song. What exactly is Arcadios planning?_

He walked unsteadily through the field of bodies, towards Yukino and Heartfilia. He did not know how long he was knocked out, but he had to stop it.

_"Dad…! What are you doing?"_

_ The Great White Dragon Weisslogia chuckled gruffly. "It is a song in the ancient language of the Dragons, Sting."_

_ "Teach me!" I cried out excitedly._

_ "Now now, Sting. It would take you ages to learn our language…"_

Sting mouthed the name of the tune as he lurched forwards. He wondered if the other Dragon Slayers heard of it, this song.

_"It is in honor of our King."_

_Why is it that Heartfilia knows the tune?_ _No…_ The main thing on Sting's mind right now was that she needed to be stopped. That other side of her needed to be stopped.

He heard a scream, a scream that he recognized. It belonged to Yukino. She fell to the ground as her blood sprayed out from her abdomen, droplets of it falling onto her white hair and staining it.

Heartfilia walked over to Yukino and picked up the two golden keys in Yukino's possession. She summoned the two new Spirits in her possession and started to form contracts with them.

"Heartfilia!" Sting shouted, stupidly dashing in towards the girl.

He was pushed down the ground immediately, a blade held directly his nape. He struggled to look up at the blonde mage.

"Heartfilia! I know you're in there! You have to stop this. Come out right now!" He yelled in desperation. He saw the girl waver for a moment. "Yes, Heartfilia! You can do it. I know you're stronger than that!"

"Shut up, boy!" Arcadios shouted, moving to swing the blade.

Sting swallowed. Would this be his end?

"No," Heartfilia's voice rang out. "Stop. If you don't, I won't do anything for you."

"Lucy Heartfilia…" Arcadios said dangerously.

"Let him go right now."

Arcadios removed the blade. Sting stood up slowly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Tch. What a bot-" He began, before he coughed out blood again.

He looked down, seeing a blade that had just ran through his abdomen. _Shit!_

"Sti-" Heartfilia opened her mouth before a grin formed on her face. Heartfilia held out the complete set of twelve golden keys and summoned all of them at once.

Sting's eyes widened. _No… She wouldn't…! The 'gate to the changing world'…_

Arcadios' army cheered as the silhouettes of the Celestial spirits appeared before them. Heartfilia immediately dropped to her knees in fatigue. The Celestial spirits looked to her in worry, but something else commanded them, as if they were in a trance. The twelve walked off, away from the area, leading the army along with them.

Sting reached behind and pulled out the blade, spitting out blood as he did. He gritted his teeth so as not to scream out. He threw the blade a distance away. He staggered over to Heartfilia. She breathed heavily as she struggled to stay conscious. Her form was glowing already.

"I… I did it," She gave him a final grin before her prideful features changed to that of shock.

"… Heartfilia?"

"S-Sting…!" She whispered with much difficulty. "I can't believe I-"

"No," He silenced her immediately. "Conserve your energy. I'll think of something."

"There's no chance for that…"

"You'll live, Heartfilia! You will!" He insisted, growing increasingly flustered. He could get someone to heal her. The Sky Dragon Slayer… Wendy Marvell. He picked her up quickly, his body struggling to bear the burden of another person.

She looked at him with concern, with her large brown eyes. He forced a smirk. "Man, you're heavy. You gotta lose some weight."

Her eye twitched in annoyance. She reached out to whack him, but he felt nothing. He hurried towards a small group that was gathering at a side, hoping Lector and more importantly, the Sky Dragon Slayer, was there. The reason Sting felt nothing was because her hand had disappeared already.

"Put me down, Sting," She said softly. "There's no chance of me surviving."

"Heartfilia… No-"

"Call me 'Lucy'," She smiled, her bloodstained teeth showing.

She reached out to him and hugged him tightly. She cried, her tears seeping into his top. He held her as she did, feeling frustrated at how helpless he was.

"Get to Wendy and get yourself healed. A-And… Tell everyone that I'm sorry," She murmured, her voice nasal. "If only I had been stronger… I-"

"You are already strong," He cut in, regarding her sternly.

"… Thank you, Sting."

Her form glowed even more brightly, her feet had started to disappear as well. "Looks like it's time for me to go… I enjoyed talking to you, y'know? I'm sorry that our friendship was short-lived…"

She pushed back a little and looked into his dark eyes, a tinge of red forming on her cheeks. "I was even hoping that…"

He waited for her to continue, but she didn't continue. He clenched onto her even more firmly. In his state of distress, he wasn't sure. He probably felt the same. But for now, all he knew was that he did not want her to go. No…

"You can't go," He choked out. "Lucy…"

His eyes widened as she melted away from his arms, leaving traces of light, slowly fading away. He mouthed her name again, looking at the place she had left him behind in. He felt liquid well up in his eyes.

"LUCYYY!"

* * *

_A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope the characters are not too OOC. This is also my take on Sting Eucliffe (We still don't know too much about him _yet_. Although t__o be very honest, I hadn't liked him very much until after I read Fairy Tail 294._) and the Eclipse Plan. And if you have read my fanfic 'Grand Finale', you'd may assume I like killing off Lucy a little too much but no. I don't. She's one of my favorite characters...! Please feel free to give me your honest feedback. I would appreciate it a lot. Thanks for reading again! :D  



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